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Virginia permit test: road signs

Sign colors and shapes, regulatory, warning, school, railroad, work zone and guide signs. 46 questions, 10 at a time, starting with ones you haven't seen.

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Rules to remember10 key road signs rulesShow the rules
  1. The eight-sided octagon always means stop. (p. 8, Virginia Driver's Manual (No edition date printed in text) (opens the handbook))
  2. Do Not Enter and Wrong Way signs mean you cannot drive in that direction. (p. 9, Virginia Driver's Manual (No edition date printed in text) (opens the handbook))
  3. A One Way sign means traffic flows only in the direction of the arrow. (p. 9, Virginia Driver's Manual (No edition date printed in text) (opens the handbook))
  4. A No U-Turn sign means U-turns are illegal at that location. (p. 9, Virginia Driver's Manual (No edition date printed in text) (opens the handbook))
  5. The five-sided pentagon marks school zones and warns of school crossings. (p. 9, Virginia Driver's Manual (No edition date printed in text) (opens the handbook))
  6. A Merge sign means two lanes moving in the same direction are about to become one, and drivers in both lanes must merge safely. (p. 10, Virginia Driver's Manual (No edition date printed in text) (opens the handbook))
  7. Entering traffic must yield to traffic already in the circle and travel counterclockwise. (p. 11, Virginia Driver's Manual (No edition date printed in text) (opens the handbook))
  8. A T Intersection sign means your road ends ahead at a stop sign; you must turn right or left after yielding. (p. 11, Virginia Driver's Manual (No edition date printed in text) (opens the handbook))
  9. Using a handheld communications device in a highway work zone brings a $250 fine. (p. 12, Virginia Driver's Manual (No edition date printed in text) (opens the handbook))
  10. The slow-moving vehicle emblem is displayed by vehicles going 25 mph or less, such as farm equipment or horse-drawn vehicles. (p. 13, Virginia Driver's Manual (No edition date printed in text) (opens the handbook))

Taken from the explanations to checked practice questions; page numbers link to the official handbook.

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Sample road signs questions

  1. 1.You are stopped at a red light where a No Turn on Red sign is posted. You want to turn right. What must you do?

    • AWait for the light to turn green
    • BTurn right if no cars are coming
    • CTurn right after yielding to walkers
    • DTurn right after a full stop
    Show the answer

    ✓ A. Wait for the light to turn green

    A No Turn on Red sign means you may not turn while the light is red; wait for the signal to turn green.

    Source: Virginia Driver's Manual (DMV 39) (No edition date printed in text), page 9

  2. 2.Your car stalls on railroad tracks and a train is coming. What should you do?

    • AStay inside the car with your seat belt fastened
    • BTry again to restart the engine right away
    • CGet out; run away from the tracks, toward the train
    • DPush the car off the tracks by yourself
    Show the answer

    ✓ C. Get out; run away from the tracks, toward the train

    Leave a stalled car on the tracks right away. Run diagonally away from the tracks, in the direction the train is coming from.

    Source: Virginia Driver's Manual (DMV 39) (No edition date printed in text), page 12

  3. 3.A Low Clearance sign shows 12 feet 6 inches, and your truck is 13 feet tall. What should you do?

    • AGo slowly under the overpass
    • BLet some air out of the tires
    • CNot go under the overpass
    • DDrive in the center of the road
    Show the answer

    ✓ C. Not go under the overpass

    A Low Clearance sign means the overpass ahead is low. Do not proceed if your vehicle is taller than the height shown.

    Source: Virginia Driver's Manual (DMV 39) (No edition date printed in text), page 10

  4. 4.What does a red and white color combination on a sign usually tell you?

    • AA warning of a hazard ahead
    • BDirections to a destination
    • CStop, yield, do not or no
    • DA nearby park or historic site
    Show the answer

    ✓ C. Stop, yield, do not or no

    Red with white conveys stop, yield, do not and no, as on stop, yield, do not enter and wrong way signs.

    Source: Virginia Driver's Manual (DMV 39) (No edition date printed in text), page 8